Geely Unveils 4-Minute EV Charging System Powered by AI to Challenge BYD in Ultra-Fast Race

Geely Launches Industry's Fastest EV Charging System

Geely unveiled its fifth-generation Smart Charging System on Wednesday, marking a direct challenge to rival BYD in the battle with BYD over ultra-fast charging technology1

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. The Chinese automaker's next-generation EV charging system can charge from 10% to 70% in 4.5 minutes and reach 97% in 8 minutes and 40 seconds under normal ambient temperatures1

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. Supported by 2.2-megawatt charging infrastructure with a peak power output of 2,250 kilowatts, this represents the industry's fastest charging speed currently available3

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. The system was tested on production-ready vehicles including the Zeekr 001 sedan and Lynk & Co 10 hybrid, demonstrating real-world viability beyond controlled laboratory conditions2

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AI Powers Battery Health Monitoring and Thermal Control

Geely deploys AI across cloud and on-vehicle systems to ensure stability and safety under such high power demands1

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. The AI-powered battery charging system uses cloud-based twin simulations paired with deep-learning models to monitor battery health, manage thermal control, and predict potential hazards1

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. Geely partnered with Chinese AI startup StepFun to develop a model that predicts battery temperatures up to 30 seconds ahead and adjusts charging power dynamically4

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. The system, called Xingrui PowerMind, keeps the battery's average temperature below 55 degrees Celsius during charging, with a ceiling of 65 degrees Celsius3

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. This thermal management system coordinates heat control across five critical points: the battery pack, charging port, charging cable, charging dispenser, and energy storage batteries supporting the chargers3

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Addressing Battery Degradation Through Innovation

Pumping electrons into batteries at such blistering speeds poses risks of battery degradation if not properly managed3

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. Geely introduced what it calls "lithium-ion pulse restoration" technology, which uses micro pulse currents to reactivate lithium ions that accumulate at the anode during repeated fast-charging3

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. This addresses lithium plating that can occur during ultra-fast charging, where ions accumulating at the electrode potentially degrade the battery over time3

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. Geely executive Zhang Dewang acknowledged that "current charging speeds are already approaching the physical limit, and the marginal gains from pursuing even faster speeds in the future will become increasingly small"1

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. The company's algorithms help manage battery limits by anticipating changes in battery temperature and tailoring the charging process in real time2

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Fierce EV Competition Drives Technology Race

China's EV market has moved into a battle over technology, with automakers competing on intelligent driving systems, range, and ultra-fast charging capabilities to attract buyers1

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. Earlier this year, BYD unveiled a flash-charging system that charges batteries from 10% to 97% in nine minutes, planning to build 90,000 stations by 2028 according to Deutsche Bank1

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. As of August, BYD had deployed 10,000 of its T-shaped Flash chargers in China with plans for 20,000 by year-end, plus 3,000 in Europe3

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. Geely's announcement, just 30 seconds faster than BYD's claim for the 10-70% charge, emphasizes AI's role in making ultra-fast charging more reliable across different vehicle models and battery conditions2

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. The announcement follows a leadership change at Geely, with An Conghui recently succeeding Li Shufu as chief executive4

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. Zhang indicated the broader charging infrastructure ecosystem would resemble traditional gasoline stations with diverse brands, suggesting multi-party development will accelerate global rollout of fast-charging networks1

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